Method of allocating batteries for use on specific industrial vehicles in a fleet

ABSTRACT

A plurality of rechargeable and removable batteries are allocated to a plurality of industrial vehicles based on the power delivery capability of each battery and the intensity level at which each vehicle is operated. One of a plurality of ratings is assigned to each industrial vehicle, wherein a rating denotes an operating intensity level. The actual capacity of each battery is measured. A given battery is installed on a particular industrial vehicle in response to the relationship between the rating assigned to that industrial vehicle and the actual capacity of the given battery. Batteries with greater actual capacity are installed on industrial vehicles that are used more intensively. When a battery ages and its actual capacity diminishes, that battery is installed on less intensively used industrial vehicles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Not applicable.

STATEMENT CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to battery powered industrial vehicles,such as lift trucks; and more particularly to monitoring the performanceof the battery.

2. Description of the Related Art

Electric lift trucks employ large lead-acid batteries to power theirtraction and lift drives. Many lift trucks are operated almostcontinuously throughout three work shifts a day. When the batterybecomes discharged, it is replaced and the truck is immediately put backinto service. The battery that was removed is then recharged off thetruck and prepared for use on another truck. In a warehouse serviced bymany such trucks, batteries continuously cycle through stages including:recharging (typically 7 to 8 hours); cool down period (typically another7 to 8 hours); and use (typically 7 to 8 hours). Therefore a typicalwarehouse many have 2 or 3 times the number of batteries as the numberof industrial vehicles. Because is takes some time to replace theserelatively large batteries, during which time the truck is out ofservice, an objective in this industry is to operate the truck as longas possible on a battery charge. To do this, however, one mustaccurately know the state-of-charge or present capacity of the battery.

It also is desirable to know when a particular battery is approachingthe end of its useful life at which time it may no longer be rechargedto a level sufficient for a reasonably long working period. Neverthelessit is undesirable from an economic perspective to take a battery out ofservice before absolutely necessary. In order to determine when aparticular battery is approaching the end of its useful life operationaldata has to be gathered over days or weeks to be able to detect aperformance degradation trend.

In addition, a need exists to be able to detect several operatingconditions that indicate a need to perform maintenance or repairs on abattery. For example, repeated disconnection and connection of thebattery to a truck and recharging equipment cause wear of the batterycable. That wear often results in power losses in the cable and thusinefficient battery use. Electric current leakage also can occur betweenthe battery and the frame of the lift truck which may bedisadvantageous.

Therefore, a need exists for a system and method that monitorsperformance of each battery for a fleet of lift trucks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A business has a fleet of industrial vehicles each powered by arechargeable battery. When recharging is required, the battery isremoved from a vehicle and replaced by another fully charged battery.Certain industrial vehicles in the fleet are used more intensely thanother vehicles. For example, some industrial vehicles are used almostcontinuously during a work shift, while other vehicles are operated onlyintermittently. In other situations, certain vehicles operate in a lowtemperature environment, such as the freezer area of a warehouse, whileother vehicles only work in areas at normal room temperature. Some ofthe industrial vehicles raise goods onto high warehouse shelves, whereasother vehicles perform little lifting.

The present method allocates a plurality of batteries to a plurality ofindustrial vehicles by matching the present, actual power deliverycapability of each battery to the intensity that each vehicle is used.The industrial vehicles that are used more intensely receive batterieswith greater present power delivery capability, while less intenselyused vehicles receive older batteries with lower power deliverycapability.

One of a plurality of work ratings is assigned to each industrialvehicle, wherein the work rating so assigned indicates an intensitylevel at which the industrial vehicle is operated.

For each of the plurality of batteries, a parameter is measuredautomatically that indicates a capability of each battery to supplypower to the industrial vehicle. For example, that capability may beindicated by the actual capacity measured for each battery, a state ofcharge value, or the internal battery resistance. A given battery isinstalled on a particular industrial vehicle in response to arelationship between the rating assigned to the particular industrialvehicle and the present condition of the given battery. The batterieswith greater capacity are used with industrial vehicles that are ratedat higher intensity levels, while the lesser capacity batteries areinstalled on industrial vehicles with a lower intensity level rating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an industrial vehicle that utilizes abattery sensor module according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the industrial vehicle;

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary vehicle fleet management system in which afleets of industrial vehicles communicate via a network with a centralcomputer in a warehouse that is linked to a remote database to whichother computers have access;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the battery sensor module that is mountedon a battery;

FIG. 5 through 9 depict tables of different types of data stored in amemory of the battery sensor module; and

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for restricting operation of theindustrial vehicle when an installed battery has insufficient weight toproperly counterbalance a load being carried.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to the operation of an industrial vehicle.Although the invention is being described in the context of a stand-up,counterbalanced lift truck used at a warehouse, the inventive conceptsare applicable to other types of industrial vehicles, and their use in avariety of facilities, such as a factories, freight transfer stations,warehouses, and stores, for example.

With initial reference to FIG. 1, an industrial vehicle 10, specificallya lift truck, includes an operator compartment 11 with an opening forentry and exit by the operator. Associated with the operator compartment11 are a control handle 14, a floor switch 12, and steering wheel 16that collectively serve as operator controls 17. The industrial vehicle10 has a load carrier 18, such as a pair of forks, that is raised andlowered on a mast 19. As will be described in further detail, acommunication system on the industrial vehicle is able to exchange dataand commands via an antenna 15 and a wireless signal with an externalwarehousing system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system 20 for a typicalindustrial vehicle 10 that incorporates battery monitoring equipment.The control system 20 comprises a vehicle controller 21 which is amicrocomputer based device that includes memory 24, analog to digitalconverters, and input/output circuits. The input/output circuits receiveoperator input signals from the operator controls 17 to activate andgovern operation of the vehicle functions such as forward and backwardtravel, steering, braking, and raising and lowering the load carrier 18.In response to the input control signals, the input/output circuits sendcommand signals to each of a lift motor control 23 and a propulsiondrive system 25 comprising a traction motor control 27 and a steer motorcontrol 29. The propulsion drive system 25 provides a motive force formoving the industrial vehicle 10 in a selected direction, while the liftmotor control 23 drives load carrier 18 along a mast 19 to raise orlower a load 35, such goods being warehoused.

The industrial vehicle 10 is powered by a multiple cell battery 37 thatis electrically coupled to the vehicle by a cable 38 that has twoconductors. A connector at a first end of the cable 38 is attached tothe battery terminals and another connector 36 at the opposite, secondend of the cable is connected to a mating connector 34 on the industrialvehicle. The battery 37 furnishes electrical power to the vehiclecontroller 21, propulsion drive system 25, steer motor control 29, andlift motor control 23 through a bank of fuses or circuit breakers in apower distributor 39.

The traction motor control 27 drives one or more traction motors 43which is connected to a propulsion wheel to provide motive force to theindustrial vehicle. The speed and rotational direction of the tractionmotor 43 and the associated propulsion wheel are designated by theoperator via the operator control handle 14, and are monitored andcontrolled through feedback derived from a rotation sensor 44. Therotation sensor 44 can be an encoder coupled to the traction motor 43and the signal therefrom is used to measure the speed and distance thatthe vehicle travels. The propulsion wheel is also connected to frictionbrake 22 through the traction motor 43, to provide both a service andparking brake functions for the industrial vehicle 10.

The steer motor control 29 is connected to drive a steer motor 47 andassociated steerable wheel 49 in a direction selected by the operator byrotating the steering wheel 16, described above. The direction ofrotation of the steerable wheel 49 determines the direction that theindustrial vehicle 10 travels.

The lift motor control 23 sends command signals to control a lift motor51 which is connected to a hydraulic circuit 53 that forms a liftassembly for raising and lowering the load carrier 18 along the mast 19.In some applications, the mast 19 can be a telescoping mast, in whichcase the hydraulic circuit also raises and lowers the mast. As shownhere, a height sensor 59 provides a signal to the vehicle controller 21indicating the height of the load carrier on the mast 19. Similarly, aweight sensor 57 is provided on the load carrier 18. A load sensor 58,such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader, is mountedon the mast to obtain an identification of the goods being transported.

In addition to providing control signals to the drive and lift controlsystems, the vehicle controller 21 furnishes data to an operator display55 that presents information to the vehicle operator. In addition, thedisplay indicates vehicle operating parameters, such as for example, thespeed of travel, battery charge level, hours of operation, time of day,and maintenance needed to be performed. Although not shown here,temperature sensors can also be included to monitor the temperature ofthe motors and other components. Alert annunciations are presented onthe operator display 55 to alert the operator of vehicle conditionsrequiring attention.

Referring still to FIG. 2, a number of data input and output devices canalso be connected to the vehicle controller 21, including, for example,a vehicle power sensor 60 that measure the voltage and electric currentreceived at the industrial vehicle from the battery 37. As will beelaborated upon hereinafter, a battery sensor module (BSM) communicationinterface 62 exchanges data with a battery sensor module 64 that ismounted on the battery 37. Each battery 37 for the fleet of industrialvehicles has a battery sensor module 64 mounted thereon to gather andstore data regarding that particular battery. The industrial vehicle 10also has a communication port 69, and a maintenance service port 65 bywhich the vehicle controller 21 communicates with external devices. Thecommunication port 69 is connected to a wireless communication device 66that includes a transceiver 68 connected to the antenna 15 forexchanging data and commands with a communication system in thewarehouse or factory in which the industrial vehicle 10 operates. Anyone of several communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, can be used toexchange messages and data via that communication link. Each industrialvehicle 10 has a unique identifier, such as its manufacturer's serialnumber or a communication network address, that enables messages to bespecifically communicated to that vehicle.

The vehicle controller 21 stores data regarding the operation of theindustrial vehicle 10. That data can include number of hours inoperation, battery state of charge, and fault codes encountered. Inaddition, load lifting operations are monitored using the time that thelift motor 51 is active. Various speed parameters, such as speed andacceleration of the vehicle and of the mast 19, can also be monitored.The vehicle operational data are collected and stored in a memory 24 inthe vehicle controller 21.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a warehouse 100, in which one or moreindustrial vehicles 10 operate, includes a communication system 102 thatlinks the vehicles to a warehouse computer 104. The communication system102 includes a plurality of wireless access points 106 distributedthroughout the warehouse 100, such as in the shipping dock and goodsstorage areas. The wireless access points 106 are wireless transceiversthat are connected via a conventional local area network 105 or a TCP/IPcommunications link to the warehouse computer 104. Alternatively thewireless access points 106 can be wirelessly coupled, such as through aWi-Fi link, to the warehouse computer 104. The warehouse 100 has one ormore battery charging stations 101 where the batteries 37 are removedfrom the industrial vehicles and recharged by equipment 103. Thecharging equipment 103 also is connected to the local area network 105for exchanging data with the warehouse computer 104.

The warehouse computer 104 is connected to the Internet 108.

The warehouse computer 104 communicates with a management computersystem 114 at the headquarters of the warehouse company via the Internet108. That connection enables the management computer system 114 toreceive data regarding the operation of the fleet of industrial vehicleat all the warehouses in the company. Both warehouse computer 104 andthe warehouse management computer system 114 execute software forstoring, analyzing and reporting the operating information for theindustrial vehicles.

The connection of the warehouse computer 104 to the Internet 108, orother external communication network, enables the warehouse computer toaccess a database 110 that stores vehicle specific data provided by themanufacturer from a manufacturer computer 112. The data gathered fromthe industrial vehicles at the warehouses also is uploaded and stored inthe database 110. Selected data can also be accessed by, for example,warehouse management personnel or vehicle dealers, who can connect tothe database 110 through the Internet 108. The various computers cananalyze and compare the data gathered from all the industrial vehiclesat a given warehouse, at all facilities of the warehouse company, or allthe vehicles made by the manufacturer.

As shown in FIG. 2, every battery 37 for use on an industrial vehiclehas a battery sensor module 64 mounted thereto. The battery sensormodule 64 may be built into the battery so as to be permanentlyintegrated therewith. Alternatively, the battery sensor module 64 may beremovable, in which case it remains attached to a particular battery aslong as that battery remains in service at the warehouse 100. Thebattery sensor module 64 gathers operational data while the battery ispowering any one of the industrial vehicles 10 and while the battery isbeing recharged at the charging station 101.

With reference to FIG. 4, the battery sensor module (BSM) 64 comprises amicrocomputer 150 that includes a digital processor input/outputcircuits and analog to digital converters. The microcomputer 150 isconnected to a memory 152 that stores a software program which isexecuted by the microcomputer to govern the operation of the batterysensor module 64. In addition, data which is used or produced by thatprogram are stored with the memory 152, as will be described.

A memory 152 contains a table with manufacturer specification datarelated to the battery 37 as depicted in FIG. 5. That specification datatable 160 contains a first field 161 in which a unique serial number isstored which identifies and distinguishes that associated battery 37from all the other batteries in the warehouse 100. A second field 162stores a value denoting the battery's nominal voltage. The data in athird field 163 indicates the rated capacity of the battery as specifiedby its manufacturer. Battery capacity is a measure of the charge storedby the battery and represents the maximum amount of energy that can beextracted from the battery under certain stated conditions. The actualenergy storage capability of a battery, however, can vary significantlyfrom the rated capacity, because the actual battery capacity dependsstrongly on the age and past history of the battery, e.g., the chargingor discharging regimes and the temperature to which the battery has beenexposed. Battery capacity is commonly denoted in terms of ampere hours(Ah) or kilowatt-hours (kWh). Ampere hours is defined as the number ofhours for which a battery can provide an electric current equal to thedischarge rate at the nominal voltage of the battery. For example, a 400Ah battery can deliver 40 amperes of current for 10 hours or 20 amperesof current for 20 hours. The kilowatt-hour capacity is approximated bymultiplying the ampere hour capacity by the nominal battery voltage.Thus a 24 volt, 400 Ah battery has a 9.6 kWh capacity. Depending uponthe particular industrial vehicle, the battery can have a nominalvoltage of 24, 36 or 48 volts and typical capacities of 4-32 kWh for a24 volt battery, 16 to 54 kWh for a 36 volt battery, and 22 to 43 kWhfor a 48 volt battery.

The data in a fourth field 164 indicates the battery's weight. A fifthfield 165 stores an identification of the chemistry type of the batteryand the sixth field 166 stores the date on which the battery wasmanufactured. Alternatively the sixth field 166 could contain anindication of the date on which the battery was first put into servicein the warehouse 100. A seventh field 167 is provided to store a countof the number of times that the battery has been recharged, referred toas the charging cycle count. This count is incremented by themicrocomputer 150 in battery sensor module 64 each time the battery isrecharged.

Returning to FIG. 4, the battery sensor module 64 has several sensorslocated on the battery 37. A voltage and current sensor 154 measures thevoltage and electric current at the terminals 156 of the battery towhich a first end of the battery cable 38 connects. The voltage andcurrent sensor 154 detects a level of electric current flowing in eitherdirection at those terminals and thus the current used to power anindustrial vehicle as well as the current that recharges the battery.Alternatively, the voltage may be detected in each of the individualcells of the battery 37. A temperature sensor 158 detects thetemperature of the battery 37 and a fluid level sensor 159 detects thebattery's electrolyte level.

Periodically, the microcomputer 150 in the BSM reads the signalsproduced by the battery sensors 154, 158 and 159 and stores themeasurement data in other data tables within memory 152. Specifically,FIG. 6 depicts a temperature table 170 in the BSM memory 152 that storesa plurality of measurements from (T1) through (Tn). Similarly, FIGS. 7and 8 represent data tables 172 and 174 for the output voltage (V) andoutput current (I), respectively. Another data table 176, depicted inFIG. 9, stores data indicating the condition of the battery at differentpoints in time, such as each time that recharging occurs. As will bedescribed, this data designate by the symbol X may be any of severalparameters, such as battery capacity, state of charge or batteryresistance, for example.

The BSM 64 has a power line communication circuit 153 that enables themicrocomputer 150 to exchange messages bidirectionally with the vehiclecontroller 21, when the battery 37 is attached to the industrialvehicle. At other times, when the battery is at the charging station101, the power line communication circuit 153 communicates with thecontroller of the charging equipment 103. The power line communicationcircuit 153 is a well known device for sending digital communicationsignals over a power line, in this instance the battery cable 38. Whenthe microcomputer 150 has data to send to the industrial vehicle 10 orto the charging equipment 103, that data modulates an oscillatingcarrier signal produced in the power line communication circuit 153. Themodulated carrier signal then is sent through the battery cable 38. Inanother technique, the digital data are transmitted serially as pulsesof a high frequency signal. The serial number of the battery istransmitted along with the data in order for the recipient device toidentify which battery is associated with the data.

With reference to FIG. 2, the control system 20 for the industrialvehicle 10 has a BSM communication interface 62 electrically attached toa connector 34 that mates with the connector 36 of the battery cable 38.The BSM communication interface 62 receives the information sent throughthe battery cable 38 by power line communication circuit 153. The BSMcommunication interface 62 also is able to transmit data and operatingcommands through the battery cable 38 to the power line communicationcircuit 153 in the BSM 64 using the same power line communicationprotocol.

Periodically or when specifically queried, the battery sensor module 64sends the acquired battery data and its serial number to the BSMcommunication interface 62 on the industrial vehicle 10. That batteryinformation is forwarded via the communication port 69 to wirelesscommunication device 66 and then onward through the local area network105 to the warehouse computer 104. In this manner, the warehousecomputer stores the performance for all the batteries 37 that areavailable for use on the industrial vehicles 10 at that facility. Thewarehouse computer 104 also can forward the battery data to the database110 and other computer systems, such as computers 112 and 114 forexample.

When the battery 37 is connected to the charging equipment 103 in thewarehouse 100 as shown in FIG. 3, a similar BSM communication interface62 within that equipment enables bidirectional communication with eachbattery sensor module 64 using that same power line communicationprotocol. This enables the charging equipment 103 to monitor theparameters, such as temperature, electrolyte fluid level and batterycurrent and voltage, that are measured by the sensors in the BSM 64. Thecharging equipment 103 also is able to send the acquired battery data tothe warehouse computer 104.

Battery Allocation Method

The electrical parameters of the battery 37 that are measured by the BSM64 and by the battery charging equipment 103 are used to calculate thebattery capacity, state of charge and internal resistance, which providean indication of the present condition of the associated battery. When abattery ages or is not maintained properly, the lead plates become“sulfated.” Deposits of lead sulfate form on the plates whicheffectively reduces the active area of each plate. This action reducesbattery capacity and increases internal resistance. The calculation ofone or more of the actual battery capacity, state of charge or batteryresistance is performed by at least one of the microcomputer 150 withinthe BSM, the vehicle controller 21, a controller within the batterycharging equipment 103, or the central warehouse computer 104.

The capacity of a battery is defined as the electric current loaddivided by the charge or discharge rate. Any of several well knowntechniques can be employed to derive the present, or actual, capacity ofa given battery. That calculation is performed by the battery sensormodule 64, each time the associated battery is recharged, and thecalculated value then is stored in data table 176 in the BSM memory 152.The present battery capacity derived at the end of recharging may beused as a direct indication of battery aging or can be compared to thebattery capacity rating stored in field 163 within the BSM memory 152 todetermine the degree of aging. The battery capacity rating representsthe capacity of the battery when newly manufactured. A significantdecrease (e.g. 20%) in the actual battery capacity from the specifiedrating indicates that the battery has reached the end of its useful andthus when the battery should be taken out of service.

Alternatively the present condition of the battery 37 can be indicatedby the state of charge at the end of recharging or the present internalresistance. These parameters can be determined utilizing any one ofseveral well-know techniques, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No.6,556,020, the description of which is incorporated herein by reference.Thus each time a particular battery is recharged one or both of theseparameters is calculated by the battery sensor module 64 and then storedin data table 176 in the BSM memory 152. Thus any one of severalparameters can be employed to indicate the present condition of abattery and the degree of deterioration of the operational ability ofthe battery.

The present battery condition, such as the actual battery capacity uponrecharging, also is employed to determine with which of the plurality ofindustrial vehicles 10 within a warehouse a particular battery 37 can beused. In a typical warehouse, certain industrial vehicles are assignedto more strenuous tasks or are used for a greater amount of time duringeach work shift than other industrial vehicles at that facility. Forexample, an industrial vehicle 10 at a loading dock may be used almostcontinuously to load and unload delivery trucks. In contrast, anotherindustrial vehicle may be assigned to a warehouse location in which itis only occasionally used to transport items. Thus, this latter vehicleis used a lesser amount of time during each work shift and does notrequire a battery that has as great an actual capacity as the batteryfor a vehicle at the loading dock. Certain industrial vehicles 10perform more strenuous load handling tasks and thus require a batterywith a greater capacity. For example, certain vehicles may be assignedthe task of placing goods onto to warehouse shelves which involveslifting heavy loads. In contrast other industrial vehicles may only workat transferring goods from the shelves to the loading dock whereinlowering the goods takes advantage of gravity and is less strenuous thatraising the goods onto the shelves. The environment in which anindustrial vehicle is used also affects the performance demands placedon its battery and thus whether a lesser capacity battery can be used.For example, an industrial vehicle that works in an extremely coldenvironment, such as within a freezer area of a warehouse, requires abattery with more actual capacity than a vehicle that is utilized inwarmer areas.

As a consequence, a battery that is aging and can no longer be chargedto its full rated capacity may not be satisfactory for use in certainindustrial vehicles, but will still provide adequate service in vehiclesused less strenuously. Even though a particular battery has aged to thepoint where it can no longer be charged to its full rated capacity, thatbattery still can be used in certain industrial vehicles and therebyprolonging the useful life of that battery before it has to be taken outof service completely.

To prolong the usefulness of each battery, every industrial vehicle 10within the warehouse is assigned one of several work ratings indicatingthe relative intensity of its use during each work shift and therelative performance demands that are placed on its battery. Industrialvehicles with a more intense work rating will receive batteries thathave been charged to substantially their full capacity rating. Incontrast, industrial vehicles with less intensity work ratings typicallyreceive batteries that are charged only to a fraction of their fullcapacity rating. Thus, upon being recharged, the present, or actualcondition of the battery is determined, either in terms of the actualcapacity or internal resistance, for example, as noted previously, andthat present condition is used to categorize the battery for use withindustrial vehicles particular work ratings. As an example, batteriesthat presently can be charged between 90% and 100% of their capacityrating are assigned for use in industrial vehicles with the highestintensity rating, whereas batteries with a present charge less that 90%of their capacity rating are assigned for use in industrial vehicleswith a lower intensity rating. More that two levels of vehicle intensityratings and more than two battery capacity categories can be employed.

The association between various capacity batteries and the appropriateindustrial vehicles can be accomplished by a color coding scheme, forexample, in which the work intensity level of each industrial vehicle isindicated by a colored label and the appropriate batteries for thatvehicle based on their present actual capacity are indicated by asimilar colored label. Obviously, a battery with a colored labelindicating a greater capacity than is required by a particularindustrial vehicle can be utilized on that vehicle.

In addition, the present battery condition can be calculated by thebattery sensor module 64 or the vehicle controller 21 periodicallyduring use on an industrial vehicle. When that condition falls belowpredefined threshold, the vehicle operator is notified that the batterycapacity is diminishing to a point where recharging soon will berequired. At such times, the operation of the industrial vehicle may berestricted to prolong the operational period so that recharging will nothave to occur until the end of a work shift. Because some time isrequired to replace these very heavy batteries, such reduction invehicle performance minimizes the down time and prolongs the useful worktime.

The difference between the battery capacity rating for a new battery andthe actual battery capacity also is employed to estimate when aparticular battery will have to be taken out of service. This capabilityallows supervisory personnel at a warehouse to order replacementbatteries before they are actually needed.

Battery Weight Verification

With reference again to FIG. 1, the weight of the battery 37 in a lifttype industrial vehicle 10 is important to providing ballast tocounterbalance the weight of the load 35 that is being transported onthe load carrier 18. Such ballast gives the vehicle stability especiallywhen the load is raised high on the mast 19. The manufacturerspecification for a particular industrial vehicle includes a minimumbattery weight that is required for proper counterbalance.

Although physically possible, it is improper to install a battery thatis less than the specified minimum battery weight. Therefore, whenever abattery is replaced on an industrial vehicle, the vehicle controller 21executes a battery weight verification software routine 180 depicted inFIG. 10. That routine commences at step 181 with the vehicle controller21 in FIG. 2 sending an inquiry via the BSM communication interface 62to the BSM 64 on the battery 37, requesting the specification data thatis stored in data table 160 within the memory 152. The BSM 64 respondsto that inquiry by transmitting the specification data through thebattery cable 38 from which it is received by the BSM communicationinterface 62 and forwarded to the vehicle controller 21.

The vehicle controller memory 24 also stores the minimum weightspecified for the battery in this vehicle, which is read by the vehiclecontroller 21, at step 182. At step 184, the actual battery weight iscompared to the minimum battery weight to determine whether thepresently installed battery is heavy enough to counterbalance thevehicle. If the presently installed battery 37 is not heavy enough, theprogram execution branches to step 186 at which the industrial vehicle10 is configured for restricted operation. This may be accomplished bysetting a flag within the vehicle controller 21. As long as that flagremains set, the vehicle controller 21 limits the operation of thevehicle. For example, the height to which a load 35 is raised on themast 19 may be restricted so that the loads can not be raised to aheight which could create an instability condition. In addition oralternatively, the weight of the loads 35 that may be transported can belimited. As noted previously, a weight sensor 57 measures the weight ofthe load 35 being on the load carrier 18 and provides an indication ofthat weight to the vehicle controller 21. Therefore, an attempt to liftan excessively heavy load 35, in this restricted operating mode, causesthe vehicle controller to disable the lift motor control 23 therebypreventing that load from being raised. Another operational restriction,when the installed battery has insufficient weight, involves the vehiclecontroller 21 limiting the maximum speed at which the traction motor 43propels the industrial vehicle 10. In this situation, the vehiclecontroller 21 may permit a heavy load 35 to be lifted a small amount offthe floor, but then limit the vehicle traction speed. The maximumtraction speed that now is permitted is significantly less than themaximum speed permitted when a properly sized battery is installed.Other types of operational restrictions may be implemented when abattery of insufficient weight is installed.

During the periods when vehicle operation is limited, the vehiclecontroller 21 provides an indication of the load restriction mode to theoperator via the operator display 55. Other types of visual and audibleannunciations can be issued.

Battery Cable Testing

Because the batteries 37 are frequently removed from one industrialvehicle 10, attached to and detached from the charging equipment 130,and reinstalled on another vehicle, the battery cable is subjected towear. With reference to FIG. 2, in addition to receiving voltage andelectric current data from the BSM 64 on a battery 37, the vehiclecontroller 21 occasionally receives data from the vehicle power sensor60. This latter data indicate the electric current and voltage receivedfrom the battery 37 at the connector 34 on the industrial vehicle 10.This provides a measurement of the voltage and electric current at thesecond, or vehicle, end of the battery cable 38. Thus, the vehiclecontroller 21 receives data regarding the voltage and electric currentat both ends of the battery cable 38.

By comparing that data from opposite ends of the battery cable 38, thevehicle controller 21 determines whether a substantial voltage dropoccurs in that cable and thereby whether the cable has deteriorated to adegree where replacement is required. The voltage drop in that cable isdirectly related to the resistance in the cable to the flow of electriccurrent between the battery and the industrial vehicle 10. A similarcomparison of the voltage at opposite ends of the battery cable 38occurs when the battery 37 is connected to the equipment 103 at thecharging station 101. If the voltage drop across the cable exceeds apredefined threshold, an alert is given to either the operator of thevehicle via the operator display 55 or to personnel at the chargingstation 101. Other forms of visual and audible annunciations can beissued.

The level of electric current at both ends of the battery cable 38 canalso be compared to detect current leakage to the frame or othercomponents of the industrial vehicle as may occur if the insulation ofthe battery cable has cracks. Here too, a difference in the electriccurrent levels measured at both ends of the battery cable 38 exceeding apredefined threshold causes an alert to be given to the vehicle operatoror personnel at the battery charging station 101.

Therefore, the present system provides a mechanism for automaticallychecking the integrity of the battery cable 38 and providing an alertwhen significant deterioration has occurred.

Battery Current Leakage

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, a circumstance encountered on theseindustrial vehicles is electric current leakage from the battery 37 tothe metal case 151 that houses the battery. This leakage may occur dueto a number of conditions such as unevaporated electrolyte spilled onthe cell tops or internal sulfation build-up at the bottom of the cell.Typically, the frame 30 of the industrial vehicle 10 is not connected tothe negative terminal of the battery 37 because of this leakagepossibility. It is important that operating personnel become aware ofthis electric current leakage in order that corrective measures can betaken.

For that purpose, the voltage and current sensor 154 in the batterysensor module 64 includes an input that is connected to the metalbattery case 151. Thus, in addition to detecting the voltage across theoutput terminals 156 of the battery, the voltage and current sensor 154periodically measures the resistance between the battery case 151 andeach of the positive and negative output terminals 156. If theresistance level with respect to the battery case 151 and either ofthese terminals is below a predefined level, an alert message is sent bythe BSM 64 to the vehicle controller 21. The vehicle controller 21responds to that alert message by providing an alert indication on theoperator display 55 or by another visual or audible annunciation.

An additional or alternative test can be performed by sensing the levelof any electric current flow through the voltage and current sensor 154between the input connected to the battery case 151 and the inputscoupled to the battery terminals 156. If such electric current exceeds apredefined threshold level, e.g., 1.0 mA, an alert message is sent tothe vehicle controller 21 or the charging equipment 103, which issues analert to the operator.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, to detect electric current leakageelsewhere on the industrial vehicle 10, the vehicle power sensor 60 hasan input connected to the frame 30 of the industrial vehicle. Thisenables the vehicle power sensor to detect the level of resistancebetween the vehicle frame and the B+ and B− conductors of the electricalsystem. A low resistance indicates a short circuit or current leakage inother components of the vehicle, such as the motors, control circuits orcabling. When such an abnormal condition is found, an appropriate alertis given via the operator display 55. If an alphanumeric type operatordisplay 55 is used, that alert indicates the nature of the condition,such as current leakage detected by the battery sensor module or by thevehicle power sensor which thus indicates the approximate location andnature of the abnormal condition.

Other Operating Conditions

The various items of operational data received by the vehicle controller21 from the BSM 64 can be used to detect other abnormal conditions ofthe battery. When such conditions are found, an appropriate alert isprovided to the operator of the vehicle 10 via the operator display 55or to personnel at the charging station 101 via a similar display on thecharging equipment 103. For example, the temperature data sent from theBSM 64 can indicate that the battery is overheating or has beensubjected to freezing temperatures. Similarly, the data produced by thefluid level sensor 159 can be utilized to alert the appropriatepersonnel that the electrolyte level in the associated battery 37 isabnormally low and additional water needs to be added to the battery.

As noted previously, all the gathered data from the battery sensormodule, other sensors on board the vehicle, and the charging equipment103 can be transmitted to the central warehouse computer 104 for storageand analysis. The central warehouse computer 104 can also relay thatbattery related data via the internet to the central database 110 or toother computers, such as those for the vehicle manufacturer, a localdealer, or the warehouse company management.

The foregoing description was primarily directed to a certainembodiments of the industrial vehicle. Although some attention was givento various alternatives, it is anticipated that one skilled in the artwill likely realize additional alternatives that are now apparent fromthe disclosure of these embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of thecoverage should be determined from the following claims and not limitedby the above disclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for allocating a plurality ofbatteries to a plurality of industrial vehicles, wherein the pluralityof batteries are rechargeable and removable from vehicles, said methodcomprising: assigning one of a plurality of ratings to each of theplurality of industrial vehicles, wherein a rating so assigned indicatesan intensity level at which a given industrial vehicle is operated; foreach of the plurality of batteries, occasionally measuring a parameterthat indicates a present capability of each battery to supply powerthereby producing a parameter measurement; and installing a givenbattery on a particular industrial vehicle in response to a relationshipbetween the rating assigned to the particular industrial vehicle and theparameter measurement for the given battery.
 2. The method as recited inclaim 1 wherein installing a given battery comprises installingbatteries with a parameter measurement above a first threshold onindustrial vehicles with an intensity level rating above a secondthreshold; and installing batteries with a parameter measurement belowthe first threshold on industrial vehicles with an intensity levelrating below the second threshold.
 3. The method as recited in claim 1wherein measuring a parameter occurs upon recharging each battery. 4.The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the parameter is a resistance.5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the parameter is a batterycapacity.
 6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the batterycapacity is in units of ampere hours.
 7. The method as recited in claim5 wherein the battery capacity is in units of one of watt hours andkilowatt hours.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein assigningone of a plurality of ratings to each of the plurality of industrialvehicles is response to a load carrying capability specified by amanufacturer of each industrial vehicle.
 9. The method as recited inclaim 1 further comprising: while a given battery is installed on anindustrial vehicle, measuring an electrical characteristic thatindicates an actual capacity of the given battery; and limitingoperation of the industrial vehicle in response to the electricalcharacteristic.
 10. A method for allocating a plurality of batteries toa plurality of industrial vehicles, wherein the plurality of batteriesare rechargeable and removable from vehicles, said method comprising:assigning one of a plurality of ratings to each of the plurality ofindustrial vehicles, wherein a rating so assigned indicates an intensitylevel at which a given industrial vehicle is operated; for each of theplurality of removable batteries, occasionally measuring an actualcapacity of each battery, thereby producing an actual capacity value;and installing a given battery on a particular industrial vehicle inresponse to a relationship between the rating assigned to the particularindustrial vehicle and the actual capacity value of the given battery.11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein installing a given batterycomprises installing batteries with actual capacity values above a firstthreshold on industrial vehicles with an intensity level rating above asecond threshold; and installing batteries with actual capacity valuesbelow the first threshold on industrial vehicles with an intensity levelrating below the second threshold.
 12. The method as recited in claim 10wherein measuring the actual capacity occurs upon recharging eachbattery.
 13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the actualcapacity value is in units of ampere hours.
 14. The method as recited inclaim 10 wherein the actual capacity value is in units of one of watthours and kilowatt hours.
 15. The method as recited in claim 10 whereinassigning one of a plurality of ratings to each of the plurality ofindustrial vehicles is response to a load carrying capability specifiedby a manufacturer of each industrial vehicle.
 16. The method as recitedin claim 10 further comprising while a given battery is installed on anindustrial vehicle, measuring a parameter that indicates the actualcapacity of the given battery; and limiting operation of the industrialvehicle when the actual capacity is less than a predefined value.
 17. Amethod for allocating a plurality of batteries to a plurality ofindustrial vehicles, wherein the plurality of batteries are rechargeableand removable from vehicles, said method comprising: assigning one of aplurality of ratings to each of the plurality of industrial vehicles,wherein an assigned rating indicates an intensity level at which a givenindustrial vehicle is operated; for each of the plurality of removablebatteries, measuring an actual electrical parameter of each battery;assigning each battery to an operating condition category in response tomeasuring an actual electrical parameter; and installing batteries onthe plurality of industrial vehicles in response to the rating assignedeach industrial vehicle and the operating condition category of eachbattery.
 18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein installingbatteries comprises installing batteries with better operatingconditions on industrial vehicles with greater intensity level ratings;and installing batteries with lesser operating conditions on industrialvehicles with lower intensity level ratings.